A dream come true or a nightmare?

By now everyone has heard the news that Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. An unprecedented event in American history. One cannot even draw a comparison between this and Lyndon Johnson's withdrawal in 1968. Ironically the convention is also in Chicago this year. How does this play out? Which party now has the advantage going into the fall? We will see soon enough.

First, one can't help but feel a little sympathy for Joe Biden. He fulfilled his dream of becoming the president only to be forced out like a struggling quarterback replaced by the backup at halftime. Truthfully, though, the Democrats had no choice but to "take the keys from the old man. "Not only because he offered them no chance of victory in the fall but also for the good of the nation; the man did not have the mental capacity to hold the office any longer. And if he had been reelected by the time he left office, he would be 85 years old. How many people live to be 85? Which brings me to this.

Every President should choose a running mate ready to assume the Presidency on day one should some unfortunate event occur. Did anybody in America, Republican or Democrat, have confidence that Kamala Harris had the competency to assume the presidency? If Biden felt she could serve as president when he chose her as his running mate, she is the only logical choice to be the next Democratic nominee. But what do the party bosses think?

The Democrats are now faced with a dilemma. Are they going to rally around Kamala Harris? Already one of the most unpopular Vice Presidents in history? In my lifetime, we have had vice presidents who I felt could step in and do the job if called upon. Not her. I would take Dan Quayle over here any day of the week and twice on Sunday, and he couldn't spell potato.

Over the last 24 hours, several prominent Democrats have gotten behind Harris. But does that mean the rest of the party will coalesce around her? Some will argue that this will alienate black voters who will not show up to vote-essentially giving the Democratic leaders an ultimatum. Choose her, or we want to support the nominee.

If I'm one of the party bosses, I'm telling people we are not here to choose the DEI candidate. We're here to pick the best candidate to win in November. Black voters may be put off at first, but I believe I could go in there and make the pitch that "Hey if you don't show up to vote, you're getting four more years of Donald Trump. Is that what you want?"

With an open convention and this much at stake for the most powerful position in the world, if I held an office and had a base of supporters, I would fight to the end to secure the nomination. Even though she has the endorsements, she still does not have the delegates.

The next few weeks will be critical for her. With all eyes upon her, any slip-up she makes will give Democrats pause about giving her the nomination and giving the Republicans more ammunition to use against her going into the fall. Everybody has dreams, and if a fight for control of the Democratic Party erupts, this would be a Republican's dream come true and the Democrat's worst nightmare.

The Republicans, on the other hand, licking their chops at the unfolding events, maybe salivating too soon. The worst thing possible has just occurred. This race was over. Now, the Democrats have a pulse. They went after Joe too hard and early, forcing him to drop out of the race. Had they "kept their powder dry," Joe would have stayed in, and they could have unloaded a devastating barrage on him in September and October. The GOP may have made a grievous error by declaring him incompetent too early. Trump's campaign, trending upwards, seemed destined for a landslide victory unlike we've seen since Ronald Reagan. Now, his campaign may have peaked too soon.

Will a new nominee reverse the trending poll numbers? Despite everything positive going Trump's way, Biden's campaign remained in striking distance. Does this give the Democrats a bounce? How are the Democrats going to be able to convince voters to abandon Trump? Even though Biden is not a two-term President leaving office historically, when we have an outgoing president, the party in power loses the election.

The Democrats may be excited about a new candidate, but the problem they fail to realize is they all supported the Biden agenda. This election is still a referendum on Biden. Team Trump will pound home the message that the new candidate represents Biden's second term. And Obama's fourth. They portray this as a monarchy, with Obama choosing who is next in line to inherit the office. The Democratic voters did not pick the nominee. The party bosses did.

While the Democrats await to find out who their nominee is and receive a vast amount of media coverage over the next few weeks, the Trump campaign needs to go on the offensive now. Having the momentum, they must strike while the iron is hot while the Democratic party is still in disarray. You've got them on the ropes. Do not let them off.

Is this race any different than two days ago? Yes and no. Biden had no path to victory, and like a sinking ship, fifty House members and six senators were going down with him. At least a new candidate gives the Democrats a lifeboat. But with so few undecided, I see nothing they can do or say to take voters away from Trump. This may move the needle a tad, but will it be enough to push it in their favor? I suppose time will tell. But ultimately, no matter who they pick, this race is still Trump's to lose.

Christopher Peeks is a disabled veteran who served in the Afghanistan War. He is a native of Locust Fork, Alabama in Blount County. He owns and manages the Alabama Political Contributor website.